1
as in wreckage
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
found the wreck of the ship lying on the floor of the ocean
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
3
as in collision
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact
a dangerous stretch of roadway that has been the scene of numerous car wrecks
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the furniture on the ground floor was wrecked by the floodwaters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of wreck
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
The teacher witnesses the car wreck and runs inside to retrieve her phone, using a rock to keep the door propped open.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
Jessie Christopher Smith, Oklahoman, 27 Jan. 2026
What to know about new 2025 tax rules Will inflation wreck your retirement?
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wreck
Noun
The real traffic train-wreck in Osceola County is Narcoosee Road, a grade-A emergency.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
The teacher witnesses the car wreck and runs inside to retrieve her phone, using a rock to keep the door propped open.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Crews used an aerial platform to help a wrecking tow truck hook its line to the vehicle, also avoiding placing a human diver in the frigid water.
—Jessie Christopher Smith, Oklahoman, 27 Jan. 2026
What to know about new 2025 tax rules Will inflation wreck your retirement?
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreck
Noun
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Garrith Jamieson, spokesperson for the private paramedic service ALS Paramedics, told The Associated Press that 11 were dead and several people were critically injured, including the driver of the minibus, who was trapped in the wreckage.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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An Arlington facility for brake parts brand Cardone has been caught in the wreckage as a dramatic bankruptcy and criminal proceedings sweep up an Ohio auto parts conglomerate.—
Sasha Richie,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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In one case, the life of an upper-class woman and contemporary of Julius Caesar, Clodia, saw her reputation destroyed by false claims of harlotry, home-wrecking, and husband-killing.—
Time,
Time,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In 2023, the California Office of Traffic Safety ranked Sutter County ninth and Yuba County eighth for injury collisions out of the state's 58 counties, placing the region among the highest in the state for fatal and injury crashes.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
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This magnetized ridge appears to funnel material and magnetic flux between the merging nuclei, further emphasizing the role of magnetic fields in governing the flow of matter during galactic collisions.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Several other council members expressed disappointment in the decision to scuttle the underpass project, which was first conceived 30 years ago as part of the city’s comprehensive plan.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
23 Jan. 2026
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The host in 2022 was working on a weekly talk show for CNN+, a streaming service that was quickly scuttled after its launch.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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This will either change your life or ruin you.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition to clearing debris, Guard officials said, troops have assisted more than 200 people stranded in vehicles and homes and given nearly 300 emergency and healthcare workers rides to work.—
Sophie Bates,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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Already too much of Havana – a once beautiful city now littered with debris from buildings collapsing under years of neglect – looks like a war zone.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Local media cited poor visibility as a possible cause of the crash, which is being investigated by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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But what’s actually happening mirrors the post dot-com crash era, where independent creators are doubling down and building new and groundbreaking applications.—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In this film, the pups get shipwrecked on a mysterious dinosaur island.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
1 Jan. 2026
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The show, which ran for three seasons from 1964 to 1967, centered around seven castaways who have to survive after getting shipwrecked on an uncharted island.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreck. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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